Calotype vs Aperto
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Calotype
This app provides a streamlined RAW camera experience for photographers, offering direct access to DNG files without cloud services or extra processing. It features manual controls like shutter speed, ISO, and focus, along with interval shooting and exposure bracketing.
- RAW DNG file saving
- Manual camera controls (shutter, ISO, focus)
- Interval shooting for timelapses
- Exposure bracketing
- In-app gallery for review and sharing
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Calotype is a simple RAW camera for photographers who want a cleaner path from lens to file. Your iPhone already has a very capable camera. It also makes a lot of decisions before you ever see the photo. Calotype keeps things quieter. On supported back cameras, Calotype saves real RAW DNG files that you can take into the editor of your choice. No accounts, no cloud library, no extra processing layer. Manual controls are built around the camera you are actually using. Shutter speed follows the sensor’s real format limits, with ISO, focus, white balance, exposure offset, and focus peaking close at hand. You also get interval shooting for timelapses and hands-free captures, exposure bracketing for tricky light, and a simple in-app gallery for reviewing, sharing, and deleting recent shots. Calotype is made by a photographer, for the moments when you want the phone to feel a little more like a camera.
Aperto
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Aperto brings compact camera character to everyday photos. Choose a look, frame the moment and take control when you want to. No subscriptions, ads or accounts. Every camera feature is free. NATURAL PROCESSING, NO AI • Natural develops the sensor's RAW with classic algorithms: honest color and real detail, without oversharpening or fake HDR • Natural can combine several RAW frames, depending on the scene and settings, to reduce noise and retain detail. • Prefer Apple's look? Switch to Apple processing with Smart HDR and Deep Fusion, up to 48 MP NIGHT MODE • Merges a burst of frames into one clean, detailed photo, without AI • Frames are aligned automatically to cancel hand shake • Turns on by itself in the dark, or set it to always on or off FULL MANUAL CONTROL • ISO and shutter speed in 1/3-stop steps, within your camera's real limits • Set only ISO or only shutter and Aperto meters the other • Manual focus with focus peaking and a loupe • White balance presets or exact Kelvin, from 2000 K to 10000 K • Exposure compensation and touch-and-hold AE/AF lock • Swipe on the viewfinder to adjust, swipe sideways to change the look RAW WHEN YOU WANT IT • Apple ProRAW or DNG, HEIC, JPEG, or RAW together with HEIC/JPEG • File quality: High or Maximum • Complete EXIF: ISO, shutter, lens and more, plus optional location FILM LOOKS Natural, Warm, Fade, Chrome, Cine, Gold, Mono and Noir, with real grain and halation. Previewed live and applied to your HEIC or JPEG; your RAW always stays untouched. COMPOSE WITH CONFIDENCE • Live histogram, horizon level and highlight zebras • Rule of thirds, golden ratio, square grid or crosshair • 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 and 65:24 panoramic framing • Ultra wide, wide and telephoto lenses, front camera • 3 s and 10 s timer, volume buttons as a shutter • Icons rotate smoothly with your iPhone CAMERA CONTROL AND LOCK SCREEN On iPhone 16 and later, choose Aperto for Camera Control and open it with the button, even from the Lock Screen. Light-press to adjust exposure, ISO, shutter and looks. Aperto is also available as a Control Center and Lock Screen control. MACRO • Get really close with the ultra wide lens (iPhone 13 Pro and later), framed tighter, with autofocus kept near • Manual focus with peaking and a loupe for the finest detail BUILT-IN EDITOR • Exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, warmth, tint, saturation, vibrance, clarity, sharpness and vignette • Film looks and grain, crop, rotate and straighten • RAW files are re-developed with Natural processing; your original is never changed LEARN AS YOU SHOOT • Camera basics: what ISO, shutter speed, EV, white balance and focus do and when to use them, with live examples • Pro School: short photo sessions with an example and a task; Aperto sets up the camera and checks your shot PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your photos stay on your device. Usage statistics and diagnostics help improve Aperto and can be disabled separately in Settings → Analytics. No accounts, advertising or cross-app tracking. FREE, FOR REAL Every camera feature is free: no paywall, no ads, no subscriptions. If you enjoy Aperto, leave a one-time tip: it unlocks five more app icons and supports development. Available in English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Screenshots
Verdict
Calotype and Aperto are too close to call on the numbers: across 3 compared parameters — price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Calotype sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Aperto sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Calotype | Aperto |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | — | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | — | iPhone — better |
| Requires iOS | 18 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kyle Aaserud | Maksim Logvinov |
In-app purchases
Calotype
- Calotype Pro$3.99
Aperto
- Small Tip$0.99
- Generous Tip$1.99







